In April of 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,546 issued to the applicant of the instant case, Ibrahim M. Mentesh; the entire disclosure of this United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. This patent described and claimed: “A pressure reducing device for a high pressure well comprising: an elongated, generally cylindrical body having an inlet end and an outlet end, said body being formed of a technical ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, chromium oxide, titania, zirconia, partially stabilized zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof; a flow channel formed in said body extending along a longitudinal, central axis of said body from the inlet end to the outlet end, said flow channel terminating in an outlet opening at the outlet end; an inlet opening formed in the inlet end of said body so as to be in fluid communication with said flow channel; means for securing said body in a channel of a housing such that said body does not move axially in the housing channel; and sealing means formed at the inlet end of said body for forming a liquid-tight seal between said body and the housing such that forward flowing oil is prevented from entering any space between said body and the housing.” The entire disclosure of this United States patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
United States patent application publication US2003/0155130 of Mentesh et al. discloses, “A pressure reducing apparatus and a method of operating a pressure reducing apparatus are provided. The apparatus is operable to reduce the pressure and flow rate of oil being discharged from a well head to downstream processing equipment. The device has central flow channel configured to receive a flow of oil and reduce the pressure in the oil. The apparatus has internal components formed of a ceramic material that resists erosion and wear caused by sand and other debris in the oil. In one embodiment of the invention, a ceramic outer sleeve is disposed in the central flow channel and cooperates with a ceramic inner sleeve having an orifice. The ceramic inner sleeve is interchangeable with other ceramic sleeves having different orifices to modify the pressure and flow characteristics of oil as it is discharged to the downstream processing equipment.” The entire disclosure of this United States patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,545 has fixed flow regulation properties. When conditions change, in order to change the properties of the device of such patent, one must stop production, remove the device from the oil well, and substitute a new device.
By comparison, U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,199 of Yancey discloses a well head installation having control means (including a choke valve) so constructed as to be adaptable to different conditions and operations. The adjustable device of Yancey, however, is not very durable, unduly restricts fluid flow, and often causes undesired turbulent fluid flow.
By further comparison, the device of United States patent application publication US2003/0155130 of Mentesh et al. is adjustable only to the extent that one may manually dismantle such device an replace certain internal flow components therein with other components having different flow characteristics. This device of Mentesh et al. is not adjustable in real time, and requires downtime of the oil well in order to perform such a change of components to adjust flow.
It is an object of this invention to provide a fluid flow regulating device that is adjustable, durable, and is superior to the devices of applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,545, United States patent application publication US2003/0155130, and to the device of the Yancey patent (U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,199).